Fungi are plants which obtain their nutrition from an organic carbon source. The body of the fungus secretes enzymes which degrade the organic substrate on which they are growing and yield smaller entities. These in turn are absorbed into the body of the fungus and are metabolized and provide energy to carry on vital processes.
The control of phytopathogenic fungi is of great economic importance since fungal growth on plants or on parts of plants inhibits production of foliage, fruit or seed, and the overall quality of a cultivated crop.
There is also a serious worldwide problem of mold growth in food materials, such as grains, animal feeds, animal feed ingredients, whole crop, and hay. This problem is most serious in tropical zones of both the eastern and western hemispheres, where sustained high humidities cause excessive moisture to be absorbed in such products.
One reason molds present such a serious problem is that they produce dangerous mycotoxins, some of which are carcinogenic. One of the common molds Aspergillus flavus, produces the mycotoxin aflatoxin which, in addition to other toxic characteristics, interferes with the immune system's ability to produce gamma globulin, the protein that is part of the immune system. The resulting breakdown of the immune system renders animals that have ingested such mold vulnerable to a variety of diseases.
Because of the vast economic ramifications of fungal propagation in agricultural and horticultural cultivations, a broad spectrum of fungicidal and fungistatic products have been developed for general and specific applications.
Of particular interest with respect to the present invention embodiments are fungicide compositions which contain one or more inorganic bicarbonate or carbonate compounds. It is known that bicarbonate and carbonate compounds exhibit fungicidal properties for agricultural purposes.
Phytopathology, 48, 169 (1931) by R. H. Marloth describes studies involving the physiology of fungi. The reference reports studies which demonstrate that sodium and potassium bicarbonate and carbonate salts are toxic to fungi such as Penicillum italicum and Penicillum digitalum.
U.S. Pat. No. 1,560,558 discloses the use of one or more of lithium carbonate, sodium carbonate, sodium bicarbonate, potassium bicarbonate, potassium carbonate and ammonium bicarbonate as a fungicide.
Japanese patent 53090319 describes the application of potassium bicarbonate as an active biocide for the control of fungal diseases common to tomato and cucumber plants.
Japanese patent 53118523 describes the combination of sodium bicarbonate and lecithin as an active agent for the control of agricultural and fruit storage fungus diseases.
Japanese patent 56043207 describes a biocidal composition containing sodium bicarbonate and a polyglycerol fatty acid ester. The biocide controls Penicillum digitatum on oranges, Sphaerotheca fligenea on cucumbers, Piricularia oryzae on rice, and mosaic virus on tomatoes.
Japanese patent 60097909 describes a soil fungicide prepared by admixing slaked lime with sodium bicarbonate, potassium bicarbonate, boric acid and phenolphthalein.
German patent DE 2927994 describes a fungicide which consists of sodium bicarbonate incorporated into a food-compatible surfactant such as saccharose laurate.
Japanese patent 57062208 describes horticultural fungicides in which the addition of sodium bicarbonate to polyoxin or thiophanatemethyl increases the fungicidal activity of the organic biocide against Botrutis cinerea on cucumbers.
Japanese patent 58023609 describes an agricultural fungicide composed of a mixture of sodium bicarbonate or potassium bicarbonate with cupric hydroxide, basic copper carbonate or basic copper sulfate. The combination of ingredients exhibits a synergistic fungicidal effect against cucumber early blight, tomato wilt, rice sheath blight, rice blast and citrus canker.
There remains a continuing need for the development of new and more effective fungicides which possess preventive, curative and systemic activity for the protection of cultivated plants, with a minimum of phytotoxic side effects.
Accordingly, it is an object of this invention to provide a biocide composition which is a blend of inorganic and organic compounds exhibiting fungicidal properties.
It is another object of this invention to provide a fungicide composition which is a dry blend of ingredients which include a combination of bicarbonate-containing inorganic compounds which enhances the biocidal activity of a fungicide ingredient.
Other objects and advantages of the present invention shall become apparent from the accompanying description and examples.